ALASKA — While not as spectacular as its 80-ft cousin in Washington, D.C., a 15-ft Sitka spruce from Hoonah still turned heads and captured attention during the Alaska Governor’s Open House on Dec. 10. 

The 2024 Together Tree was harvested and delivered to the Governor’s House by the Hoonah Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest, resuming a project meant to highlight the important relationships among federal, state, tribal and local entities in Alaska. The 2024 Capitol Christmas Tree also came from the Tongass, harvested from the Wrangell Ranger District and unveiled earlier this month. 

"I had the honor of celebrating two magnificent Sitka spruce trees this holiday season — an awe-inspiring 80-foot giant from Wrangell, Alaska, now gracing the west lawn of the Capitol in D.C., and a charming 15-foot spruce from Hoonah, proudly displayed on the balcony of the Governor's House in Juneau,” said Chad VanOrmer, Alaska regional forester. “Both trees stand as powerful symbols of the deep-rooted connections the Forest Service shares with its partners, tribes and local communities, reflecting the spirit of unity and collaboration that defines our region."

The Together Tree was selected from the Spasski Watershed, within an area of the Hoonah Native Forest Partnership. The Hoonah Native Forest Partnership implements projects to provide fish passage across roads, promote wildlife habitats, restore stream function and fish habitat and offer training opportunities to build a sustainable workforce in the rural and diverse community of Hoonah.

Jack Lee of the Hoonah Indian Association provided a traditional blessing for the tree before it was harvested and then loaded onto a ferry from the Alaska Marine Highway System. 

"It is an honor to provide the Together Tree from Hoonah and to be asked to provide a blessing. It is my hope that Hoonah will have the opportunity to provide the Together Tree again in the near future," said Lee.

Since 2017, the Tongass National Forest partnered with the state of Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard, rural communities in southeast, and the Alaska Native peoples to deliver a tree to be displayed through the holiday season. Locally made tree ornaments were also created for the annual event. The first Together Tree came from Yakutat in 2017, and the 2023 tree came from Ketchikan. 

Ornaments for this year’s tree were pulled from the 14,000 made and donated by Alaskans across the state for the 2024 Capitol Christmas Tree. For more information regarding the People’s Tree, visit https://www.uscapitolchristmastree.com/.